diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6dbf226b..de0cc7e3 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
         "react": "^18",
         "react-dom": "^18",
         "recharts": "^2.12.0",
-        "resend": "^6.12.4",
+        "resend": "^6.14.0",
         "tailwind-merge": "^2.3.0",
         "three": "^0.184.0",
         "zod": "^3.25.76"
@@ -11913,9 +11913,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/resend": {
-      "version": "6.12.4",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/resend/-/resend-6.12.4.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-lRpJ2Hxd+ht+JPDm97juRcUp9HOMuZyxaRFRFmc9Tx8iNWiei94Dx9v6SWufgKk2667C/uCeKKspMotOHSpCSg==",
+      "version": "6.14.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/resend/-/resend-6.14.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-jVdpUgOoWGLjaP64lo8KwzHT9gY4w6Dl8c36CIb2F+ayYOMLr3khqs8xrNjXM2k19b+lPoj0VWQFhVNLiToBjA==",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "postal-mime": "2.7.4",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a834cdc3..2fbca32c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     "react": "^18",
     "react-dom": "^18",
     "recharts": "^2.12.0",
-    "resend": "^6.12.4",
+    "resend": "^6.14.0",
     "tailwind-merge": "^2.3.0",
     "three": "^0.184.0",
     "zod": "^3.25.76"
diff --git a/src/app/actions/issues.ts b/src/app/actions/issues.ts
index da584cff..97b37a78 100644
--- a/src/app/actions/issues.ts
+++ b/src/app/actions/issues.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { ok, err, type Result } from '@/lib/result';
 import { rateLimit, RATE_LIMIT_TIERS } from '@/lib/rate-limit';
 import { cacheDel, cacheGet, cacheSet } from '@/lib/cache';
 import { repoFilterPattern } from './issues-helpers';
+import { getInstallOctokit } from '@/lib/github/app';
 
 const PAGE_SIZE = 10;
 
@@ -57,6 +58,56 @@ export async function getRepoOptions(): Promise<Result<RepoOption[]>> {
 
   const cacheKey = `repo-options:${user.id}`;
 
+  const { data: insts } = await service
+    .from('github_installations')
+    .select('id')
+    .eq('user_id', user.id);
+
+  const instIds = (insts ?? []).map((i: { id: number }) => i.id);
+  if (instIds.length === 0) return ok([]);
+
+  const { data: repoRows } = await service
+    .from('installation_repositories')
+    .select('repo_full_name, installation_id')
+    .in('installation_id', instIds);
+
+  const repoMap = new Map<string, number>();
+  for (const r of (repoRows ?? []) as { repo_full_name: string; installation_id: number }[]) {
+    repoMap.set(r.repo_full_name, r.installation_id);
+  }
+
+  const userRepos = [...repoMap.keys()];
+  if (userRepos.length === 0) return ok([]);
+
+  // Resolve each repo: if it's a fork, use the upstream (parent) as the issues source
+  const options = await Promise.all(
+    userRepos.map(async (repo): Promise<RepoOption> => {
+      const instId = repoMap.get(repo);
+      if (!instId) return { label: repo, value: repo };
+      try {
+        const octokit = await getInstallOctokit(instId);
+        const [owner, name] = repo.split('/');
+        if (!owner || !name) return { label: repo, value: repo };
+        const { data } = await octokit.repos.get({ owner, repo: name });
+        if (data.fork && data.parent?.full_name) {
+          return { label: repo, value: data.parent.full_name };
+        }
+        return { label: repo, value: repo };
+      } catch {
+        return { label: repo, value: repo };
+      }
+    }),
+  );
+
+  // Deduplicate by value (multiple forks of same upstream → one entry)
+  const seen = new Set<string>();
+  const deduped = options
+    .filter((opt) => {
+      if (seen.has(opt.value)) return false;
+      seen.add(opt.value);
+      return true;
+    })
+    .sort((a, b) => a.label.localeCompare(b.label));
   // Return active in-flight request if there is one (deduplicates concurrent calls during page load)
   const inFlight = inFlightRepoOptions.get(user.id);
   if (inFlight) return inFlight;
diff --git a/src/app/actions/recommendations.test.ts b/src/app/actions/recommendations.test.ts
index 1d26bc48..6cfca1f2 100644
--- a/src/app/actions/recommendations.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/actions/recommendations.test.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => {
     mockCacheDel: vi.fn(),
     mockRateLimit: vi.fn(),
     mockTryGetDb: vi.fn(),
-    mockSql: vi.fn((strings, ...values) => ({ strings, values })),
+    mockSql: vi.fn((strings: TemplateStringsArray, ...values: any[]) => ({ strings, values })),
   };
 });
 
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ describe('Recommendations Server Actions', () => {
         .mockReturnValueOnce(
           createMockChain(null, { data: { id: 1, difficulty: 'E', issue_id: 10 }, error: null }),
         ) // update rec
+        .mockReturnValueOnce(createMockChain(null, { data: { level: 1 }, error: null })) // profiles
         .mockReturnValueOnce(createMockChain({ data: [{ issue_id: 10 }] })) // select seen
         .mockReturnValueOnce(
           createMockChain({
@@ -305,6 +306,7 @@ describe('Recommendations Server Actions', () => {
         .mockReturnValueOnce(
           createMockChain(null, { data: { id: 1, difficulty: 'E', issue_id: 10 }, error: null }),
         ) // update rec
+        .mockReturnValueOnce(createMockChain(null, { data: { level: 1 }, error: null })) // profiles
         .mockReturnValueOnce(createMockChain({ data: [{ issue_id: 10 }] })) // select seen
         .mockReturnValueOnce(createMockChain({ data: [] })) // select pool E
         .mockReturnValueOnce(createMockChain({ data: [] })); // select pool Any
diff --git a/src/app/actions/recommendations.ts b/src/app/actions/recommendations.ts
index 630d9a6a..14f50108 100644
--- a/src/app/actions/recommendations.ts
+++ b/src/app/actions/recommendations.ts
@@ -286,10 +286,19 @@ export async function skipRecommendation(
 
   // Insert a replacement pick. Same difficulty if possible. Excludes
   // anything the user has already seen (any status).
+  const { data: profile } = await service
+    .from('profiles')
+    .select('level')
+    .eq('user_id', user.id)
+    .single();
+
+  const userLevel = profile?.level ?? 0;
+
   const replacement = await pickReplacement({
     service,
     userId: user.id,
     preferDifficulty: data.difficulty as 'E' | 'M' | 'H',
+    level: userLevel,
   });
 
   await cacheDel(`recs:${user.id}`);
@@ -300,8 +309,9 @@ async function pickReplacement(args: {
   service: NonNullable<ReturnType<typeof getServiceSupabase>>;
   userId: string;
   preferDifficulty: 'E' | 'M' | 'H';
+  level: number;
 }): Promise<RecCard | null> {
-  const { service, userId, preferDifficulty } = args;
+  const { service, userId, preferDifficulty, level } = args;
 
   const { data: seen } = await service
     .from('recommendations')
@@ -309,8 +319,13 @@ async function pickReplacement(args: {
     .eq('user_id', userId);
   const excludeIds = new Set((seen ?? []).map((r) => r.issue_id));
 
-  // Try same tier first, then any tier. Health >= 40 filter mirrors filterAndRank.
-  for (const where of [{ difficulty: preferDifficulty }, {} as Record<string, string>]) {
+  const allowedDifficulties = new Set<string>();
+  if (level >= 0) allowedDifficulties.add('E');
+  if (level >= 1) allowedDifficulties.add('M');
+  if (level >= 2) allowedDifficulties.add('H');
+
+  // Try same tier first, then any allowed tier. Health >= 40 filter mirrors filterAndRank.
+  for (const fallback of [false, true]) {
     let q = service
       .from('issues')
       .select('id, repo_full_name, github_issue_number, title, difficulty, xp_reward, url')
@@ -318,7 +333,12 @@ async function pickReplacement(args: {
       .gte('repo_health_score', 40)
       .order('scored_at', { ascending: false })
       .limit(50);
-    if (where.difficulty) q = q.eq('difficulty', where.difficulty);
+
+    if (!fallback) {
+      q = q.eq('difficulty', preferDifficulty);
+    } else {
+      q = q.in('difficulty', Array.from(allowedDifficulties));
+    }
     const { data: pool } = await q;
     const pick = (pool ?? []).find((i) => !excludeIds.has(i.id));
     if (!pick) continue;
diff --git a/src/app/actions/search.test.ts b/src/app/actions/search.test.ts
index 5554ed0f..bcbbcde0 100644
--- a/src/app/actions/search.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/actions/search.test.ts
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ vi.mock('@/lib/db/schema', () => ({
 }));
 
 vi.mock('drizzle-orm', () => ({
-  ilike: vi.fn((col, pat) => ({ col, pat })),
-  desc: vi.fn((col) => ({ col, dir: 'desc' })),
+  ilike: vi.fn((col: any, pat: any) => ({ col, pat })),
+  desc: vi.fn((col: any) => ({ col, dir: 'desc' })),
 }));
 
 import { searchGlobal } from './search';
diff --git a/src/lib/maintainer/community.test.ts b/src/lib/maintainer/community.test.ts
index 6d7b406e..dadb12e7 100644
--- a/src/lib/maintainer/community.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/maintainer/community.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { validateCommunityUrl, COMMUNITY_KINDS, type CommunityKind } from './community';
 
 describe('validateCommunityUrl', () => {
-  it.each(COMMUNITY_KINDS)('accepts plain https for %s', (kind) => {
+  it.each(COMMUNITY_KINDS)('accepts plain https for %s', (kind: any) => {
     const res = validateCommunityUrl('https://example.com/abc', kind as CommunityKind);
     expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
   });
diff --git a/src/lib/pipeline/recommend.test.ts b/src/lib/pipeline/recommend.test.ts
index 3c493fd2..6afebb0b 100644
--- a/src/lib/pipeline/recommend.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/pipeline/recommend.test.ts
@@ -105,14 +105,25 @@ describe('filterAndRank', () => {
     expect(result).toEqual([]);
   });
 
+  it('falls back to other allowed tiers but respects max difficulty cap', () => {
+    const issues = [
+      issue({ id: 1, difficulty: 'H' }),
+      issue({ id: 2, difficulty: 'M' }),
+      issue({ id: 3, difficulty: 'E' }),
+    ];
+    // L1 wants 2 E + 2 M.
+    // Pool has 1 H, 1 M, 1 E.
+    // It will take M and E. Fallback should NOT take H.
   it('does not fallback to higher difficulty tiers', () => {
     const issues = [issue({ id: 1, difficulty: 'M' }), issue({ id: 2, difficulty: 'M' })];
 
     const result = filterAndRank(issues, {
-      level: 0,
+      level: 1,
       excludeIssueIds: new Set(),
       allowFallback: true,
     });
+    expect(result).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(result.map((r) => r.difficulty).sort()).toEqual(['E', 'M']);
 
     expect(result).toEqual([]);
   });
diff --git a/src/lib/pipeline/recommend.ts b/src/lib/pipeline/recommend.ts
index a81688fc..e2ccb09b 100644
--- a/src/lib/pipeline/recommend.ts
+++ b/src/lib/pipeline/recommend.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,13 @@ export function filterAndRank(pool: readonly ScoredIssue[], opts: RecommendOptio
   // Fallback: if any tier came up empty, optionally borrow from adjacent (only easier).
   if (opts.allowFallback && result.length < totalDesired(mix)) {
     const seen = new Set(result.map((r) => r.id));
+    const allowed = new Set<string>();
+    if (opts.level >= 0) allowed.add('E');
+    if (opts.level >= 1) allowed.add('M');
+    if (opts.level >= 2) allowed.add('H');
+
+    const extras = eligible
+      .filter((i) => !seen.has(i.id) && allowed.has(i.difficulty))
     const allowedDifficulties: Difficulty[] =
       opts.level <= 0 ? ['E'] : opts.level === 1 ? ['E', 'M'] : ['E', 'M', 'H'];
 
diff --git a/src/lib/supabase/server.ts b/src/lib/supabase/server.ts
index 7ad7cae1..41e31fbb 100644
--- a/src/lib/supabase/server.ts
+++ b/src/lib/supabase/server.ts
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ export async function getServerSupabase() {
   return createServerClient(env.url, env.anonKey, {
     cookies: {
       getAll() {
-        return cookieStore.getAll();
+        return (cookieStore as any).getAll();
       },
       setAll(toSet: { name: string; value: string; options?: CookieOptions }[]) {
         try {
           for (const { name, value, options } of toSet) {
-            cookieStore.set(name, value, options);
+            (cookieStore as any).set(name, value, options);
           }
         } catch {
           // setAll called from a server component — middleware handles refresh, ignore.